Ranger 50

Prologue

A/N: hey guys, this is very much a teaser, ill try get the first chapter out as soon as possible.

Thanks

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I am the newest addition to the Ranger Corps. A select number who protect the kingdom of Araluen from threats within and without. There are fifty of us in service, one for each of the fifty fiefs. 

I started my training when I was fifteen years old. Until then, I was a student in the Ward, at castle Redmont, raised and educated by the generosity of Baron Arald. My father had died in the final battle against the evil Lord Morgarath where a youth of  fifteen years killed the evil lord. After my mother gave birth to me she raised me until I was one and then was taken into slavery by the Skandians in a raid on our village on the east coast of Araluen. Left to my grandparents, they left Seacliff fief in order to find a more safe home in Redmont fief. The journey took over a week I'm told but they got there eventually with all the money and the few possessions they had.

    I grew up at Redmont. My grandfather bought a farm and farmed cattle, sheep and chickens. For 8 years we were happy. It was there I grew up. It is where I learnt to read, write, ride a horse and raise animals. I had my first dog and my first broken bone there. 

Then my grandfather died. He was out herding the cattle when he was attacked by a boar. This was a monster. 3 foot long, 2 foot high and weighing at least 50 kilograms. It tore up my grandfather and half a dozen sheep before it left us. I later heard that it was killed in a boar hunt. 6 months later my grandmother succumbed to a disease. She fought it and fought it hard, but only lasted six months.

   One day, she took me up to the castle and knocked on the keep door and a maid servant answered. She saw my grandmother terribly ill and little 10 year old me helping her to stand. 

"Please," my grandmother had said in barely a whisper. The maid servant had to lean in to hear what Grandmother was saying. "Please look after her. I am all she has left. Her name is Emma Greenwood." And with that she took her last breath, and died. I screamed. I screamed for ages and clung to Grandmother's dead body. The last person. The last living relative of mine is gone. When they took me into the keep the tried to feed me but I wouldn't eat. They tried to keep me warm and dry but I kept throwing off their blankets and running out into the rain. I was like this for 5 days. Didn't sleep. Barely ate. And stayed in the cold, autumn rain.

After the five days I decided it wouldn't benefit me in any way standing out here in the rain. I should just put my head up and take life as it comes. Show no emotion or weakness and nothing could hurt me. That was my belief. In the next five years I had no friends amongst the other three wards. I had unconsciously placed them into crafts in my head over the years.

     William, tall, broad, acts like an idiot and from what I've seen, not too bright. He would go to battle school. A place where you earn to hit someone that your told to and ride a horse if your stupid enough not to know how already. Ashley, medium hight, fat, cheerful and fairly sensible. She would be in the kitchens, a feared place that Master Chubb still rules with a wooden ladle. Fredrick, short, muscular and a knack for drawing and making. He would be a blacksmith. 

    And me. Emma. Short, wiry, quick witted and good at climbing. I was also good at watching people and observing them when they aren't paying attention. I wanted to be a ranger. I dreamed of it. The only setback was the current ranger at Redmont. The famed Will Treaty, the best ranger in 100 years. Better even than his own master, the Ranger Halt. Will Treaty is dark, brooding, mysterious and tall. He protected Princess Cassandra through slavery in Skandia, trained 100 slaved into an effective archery force in 3 weeks against the fearsome Temujai, overcame the black sorcerer Malkallam and rescued his wife from the hands of the Scotti, and shut down the return of the Outsiders cult and their move to regain a foothold in Araluen.

I idolised him for the five years I was in the Ward, as I strived to become a ranger. When I was 15, the most important day of my life came. The day of The Choosing Ceremony. The day on which the wards who were 15 make a request for the profession they want. Whether battle school or horse school. Blacksmithing or carpentry. The diplomatic service or the scribes. Or the Rangers. On the choosing ceremony, all the craft masters, the Baron and the wards go to The Baron's office and the wards are chosen by the craft masters. William to battle school. Ashley to the kitchens. Fredrick to the blacksmith. And me to the rangers. I was so excited when I got in. However, I didn't know what was waiting for me.

During the next five years I learnt many things. How to shoot a bow with unerring accuracy, how to fight and throw my knives, about ranger horses and their unique passwords, how to see with out being seen, how to walk and move silently, how to draw maps and charts, how to cook and that Will Treaty was short! 

After the five years of training, I finally graduated and became the first female graduate of the Ranger Corps. I was surprised at that. Surprised that even though other girls ad undertaken the apprenticeship that none of the others actually made it. It filed me with pride. I was assigned to Seacliff fief when I got the silver oak leaf. I was stunned in to shock. That was where I was born. To return there would be so weird, even though I remember none of it. Will assures me I will be fine. It was his first assignment also and he found it relatively quiet.That is the last thing of what happened to me.

 I am Emma Greenwood, Ranger 50. And this is my story.